Fork attachment

ABSTRACT

A conventional loader vehicle having forward push arms with a bucket secured at their terminal ends is provided with a replaceable fork-type rake attachment including a rake member having a plurality of tines extending downwardly below the bucket. The rake attachment is pivotally mounted on the bucket and includes power means for manipulating the rake member toward and away from the bucket. A pair of rearwardly directed logsupporting arms is secured to the rake member to hold an object when the rake member is pivoted toward the bucket. A plurality of forwardly directed teeth are provided on the rake member to serve as gripping members to prevent it from sliding up the object to be moved when the vehicle is being used to push over small trees and the like.

- 3.275.l73 9/l 966 Kampertetal.

United States Patent Floyd [5. Perrotti 20906 l20th Ave. 8.5.. Kent.Wash. 9803I 829.888

June 3. I969 July 27. I971 [72] Inventor [2| 1 Appl No [22] Filed [45Patented SClnhgSDr-nwlngllgg [$2] U.S.Cl. 214/767.

- 214/145. 37/lI7.5 [SI] Int." E02l3l28 [50] l-fleldol'Seordi 2l4/l47.I47 0. I38. 767. I45; 37/] I7.5 [56] I RelerencesClted UNITED STATESPATENTS 3.073.645 1/1963 Behrens 2l4/l47GX 3,077,999 2/l963 Svoboda2l4/l45 214/767 3.275.l72 9/l966 Smith. 3.485.396 12/1969 LundquistPrimary Examiner-Albert J. Makay Attorney-Seed. Berry and DowreyABSTRACT: A conventional loader vehicle having forward push arms with abucket secured at their terminal ends is provided with a replaceablefork-type rake attachment including a :rakemember having a plurality oftines extending downwardly below the bucket. The rake attachment ispivotally mounted on the bucket and includes power means formanipulating the rake member toward and away from the bucket. A pair ofrearwardly directed log-supporting arms is secured to the rake member tohold an object when the rake member is pivoted toward the bucket. Aplurality of forwardly directed teeth are provided on the rake member toserve as gripping members to prevent it from sliding up the object to bemoved when the vehicle is being used to push over small trees and thelike.

PATENIEUJ11L2 1 am SHEET 2 OF 2 FLOYD E. PERROTTI INVENTOR ATTORNEYSBACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION designed for specialized operations, such asraising logs and the like.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is a primary feature of this invention toprovide a simple,

inexpensive attachment that is suitable for use in a clearing operation.To this end rake means is attached to a bucket or other backing memberon the vehicle and includes tines or .rake teeth which extend below thebottom of the bucket. The

bucket includes a fixed portion or backing member that serves as abackup for the tines during some manners of use. Stated differently theinvention includes a replaceable front fork-type attachment whichreplaces the conventional movable portion of a clamshell bucket or thelike and provides substantial utility-and versatility for use in landclearing. The fixed portion of the bucket may be used to push, excavateand remove earth and debris. The rake member is readily usable forclearing and stacking brush.

Another feature of the invention is to provide a fork attachment whichmay also serve as a grabbing device which can seize poles, logs and thelike. Basically for this purpose the rake member is provided withrearwardly directed log-supporting arms which coact with the fixedportion of the bucket to form a clamp.

Still another feature of the invention is to provide the rake memberwith forwardly directed teeth sothat the attachment may be used on thevehicle to knock over small trees and the like without the rake slidingupwardly along the trees.

As will be readily apparent the rake attachment is easy to attach andsimple to operate. It is extremely versatile in that raking, clearingand earthmoving operations may be performed simultaneously without theneed to switch to another type of vehicle or attachment for removing anobject and lifting it out of the path of the vehicle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a perspective of aconventional vehicle equipped with an attachment embodying theprinciples of the invention.

FIG. 2 is an isometric of the attachment shown grabbing an object.

FIG. 3 is an isometric of the attachment shown in FIG. 2 with the rakemember in an open position to grasp an object.

FIG. 4 is a vertical section of the attachment shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a front elevation ofthe attachment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In brief, thepreferred form of the invention includes a rake member 12 attached tothe fixed portion of a bucket 14 of a conventional loader or clearingvehicle 16. The rake member may be used for raking and, as will bedescribed in more detail below, also for grabbing objects such as logs.It may also be used for pushing trees and other objects over or out ofthe path of the vehicle. Thus, primarily the attachment functions as afield-clearing attachment readily used with conventional field-clearingequipment. The loader 161s conventional and includes a pair'ofconventional push or manipulating arms 18 and a backing member 20 shownin the preferred embodiment as a bucket or the rear portion of aclamshell-type bucket. Other types of backing members such asarecommonly used with log-handling forks and the like may also"be"e"rnployed. The rake member 12 is pivotally secured to an upper endof the fixed portion of the bucket by a pair of pivot rods 22. A leverarm 24 is rigidly secured to the upper end of the rake member 12 and isoperative to pivot the rake member about the pivot rods 22. A pair ofconventional two-way hydraulic cylinders 26, only one being shown, issecured between the lever arm 24 and the bottom of the bucket 20 toprovide the power means for pivoting the rake member 12. As is readilyapparent retraction of the cylinder rod 27 into the hydraulic cylinderwill open the rake member whereas extension of the rod will pivot therake member rearwardly against the backing member 20. Obviously, whenthe operator desires to use the fixed portion of the bucket only therake member may be pivoted upwardly out of the way.

The rake member I2 is provided with a plurality of equidistantly spacedrake tines orteeth 30 secured at their upper ends to a cross brace 32and to a similar cross brace 33 near the lower ends thereof. The lowerends of the tines are provided with heavy-duty working surfaces 34 whichextend downwardly beyond the bucket 20 when the rake member is retractedagainst the bucket as best shown, for example, in FIG. 4. As thuspositioned the rake member serves as a rake which may be used fordigging into the soil or for clearing debris from on top of the ground.

The outermost tines 30 of the rake member 12 are each provided with arearwardly depending log-supporting arms 36. As best shown in FIGS. 1and 5 the log-supporting arms are posi' tioned laterally outside of thebucket 20. When the rake member is retracted against the bucket 20 anobject, such as a log L, may be supported on the arms, clamped againstthe bucket and raised for removal out of the path of the vehicle anddeposited elsewhere.

The cross brace 33 of the rake member 12 is provided with a plurality ofspaced teeth 40. The teeth are preferably replaceable in a conventionalmanner. Gripping or restraining surfaces other than teeth may also beemployed. The purpose of the teeth is to preclude the rake member fromsliding or climbing up an object, such as a tree, that is being pushedover or out of the path of the loader. When the loader 16 is being usedto push over a tree, for example, the teeth 40 will dig into the treepreventing the rake member from sliding up the surface of the tree.

As is readily apparent changes in the details of the construction of thepreferred embodiment may be resorted to without departing from thespirit of the invention and, accordingly, the scope of the invention isto be determined solely by the interpretation of the appended claims.

The embodiments of the invention in which an I claim exclusive propertyor privilege are defined as follows:

1. A rake attachment for a mechanical loader or the like having a mobileframe, a pair of powered manipulating push arms and a backing membermounted between the outer ends of said arms, the improvement comprising;

a rake member pivotally mounted at its upper end to said backing memberand extending substantially vertically downwardly operable to be engagedby said backing member and terminating in a plurality of teeth extendingdownwardly below the bottom portion of said backing member,

means for pivoting said rake member toward and away from said backingmember whereby when the apparatus is used for raking the backing memberbraces the rake member against rearward movement and the raking membermay be pivoted upwardly allowing the use of the backing member foroperations other than raking.

2. The rake attachment defined by claim I wherein said rake memberfurther includes at least two spaced, rearwardly directed log-supportingarms.

3. The rake attachment defined by claim lf'wherein said saidrake memberand wherein said power means includes at rake member includes aplurality of forwardly directed teeth. a one wmway hydraulic cylinderSecured a one end to a 4. The rake attachment defined byclaim 1 whereinsaid backing member is a dish-shaped scoop member.

5. The rake attachment of claim 4 including at least one rearwardlyextending lever arm secured to the upper end of lower rear surface ofsaid backing member and having a 5 cylinder rod pivotally secured tosaid lever arm.

1. A rake attachment for a mechanical loader or the like having a mobileframe, a pair of powered manipulating push arms and a backing membermounted between the outer ends of said arms, the improvement comprising;a rake member pivotally mounted at its upper end to said backing memberand extending substantially vertically downwardly operable to be engagedby said backing member and terminating in a plurality of teeth extendingdownwardly below the bottom portion of said backing member, means forpivoting said rake member toward and away from said backing memberwhereby when the apparatus is used for raking the backing member bracesthe rake member against rearward movement and the raking member may bepivoted upwardly allowing the use of the backing member for operationsother than raking.
 2. The rake attachment defined by claim 1 whereinsaid rake member further includes at least two spaced, rearwardlydirected log-supporting arms.
 3. The rake attachment defined by claim 1wherein said rake member includes a plurality of forwardly directedteeth.
 4. The rake attachment defined by claim 1 wherein said backingmember is a dish-shaped scoop member.
 5. The rake attachment of claim 4including at least one rearwardly extending lever arm secured to theupper end of said rake member and wherein said power means includes atleast one two-way hydraulic cylinder secured at one end to a lower rearsurface of said backing member and having a cylinder rod pivotallysecured to said lever arm.